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Sovereign class
Type: Heavy cruiser Length: 685 meters Beam: 240 meters Height: 88 meters Armament: 16 (Refitted), 12 (Basic) phaser arrays, 9 Torpedo Launchers Defenses: Deflector shields The Sovereign-class starships were introduced in the late 24th century. The vessel included some of Starfleet's most recent technological advances. History The Sovereign Project was one of the new defensive technologies initially intended for use against the Borg threat. The prototype, USS Sovereign was still in the design phase during the Battle of Wolf 359. Design History Heavily armed, the design philosophy for the Sovereign class was shaped by the discovery of the Borg. The Sovereign Project attempted to push the envelope as far as possible when it came to computer power, shields, armament and systems capabilities. The Sovereign class starship combines the creature comforts associated with the larger Galaxy class vessels with the tactical power of the new Prometheus class. (Star Trek: First Contact) The vessel included some of Starfleet's most recent technological advances. Primary amongst these was a large quantum torpedo launcher mounted forward of the deflector dish above the Captain's Yacht, which was capable of firing at least four rounds per second. Backup to the quantum torpedoes was provided by photon tubes; four of these were located at the base of the engineering section in pairs which face forward and aft. These launchers can fire up to 12 torpedoes at a time. The warp engines of the Sovereign were of a new design which eliminates subspace distortion effects inherent to standard warp drives without the use of variable geometry nacelles (as found on the Intrepid class - see also Hekaras Corridor). (Star Trek: Nemesis) Construction History In 2373, the Sovereign class [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise-E]] was launched from spacedock. There are currently a limited number of Sovereign class starships in service, with more in production. Caption: The Battle of Sector 001. Caption: The Battle of the Bassen Rift. The Sovereign in combat One of the Sovereign class' first major engagements came in 2373, when the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise]] saw action in the Borg incursion into Sector 001, and was instrumental in the destruction of the attacking Cube. (Star Trek: First Contact) Shortly after the resolution of the Dominion War, a refitting of the Sovereign class took place. These included three extra aft facing torpedo tubes, along with one more forward facing tube; a twin launcher aft of the bridge, single launchers above the aft hangar deck, and at the base of the forward bridge terracing. Additionally, four extra phaser arrays were added to the nacelle pylons to cover an existing blind spot. The Enterprise was able to test out these new systems in 2379 when it faced the Reman ship Scimitar. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Interior Main Bridge Primary operational control of the Sovereign class is provided by the Main Bridge, located at the top of the primary hull. The Main Bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations and coordinates all departmental activities. The Main Bridge is an ejectable module, allowing for a wider variety in mission parameters as well as an emergency escape route. The primary bridge configuration of the new Sovereign class is slowly becoming one of the standard bridge designs for fleetwide application in newer starships. The central area of the Main Bridge provides seating and information displays for the captain and two other officers. The Captain’s Chair is raised from the rest of the Bridge Officers, to that of the surrounding level which includes Tactical and Operations. The two officer seats are equipped with fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses. Caption: The Main Bridge. Caption: The main viewscreen. Caption: The Captain's Ready Room. Caption: The Observation Lounge. Caption: Main Engineering. Caption: The warp core. Caption: The Sickbay. Caption: Crew Quarters. Directly fore of the command area is the Conn Officer, who faces the main viewer. To the port side of the Conn officer, also facing the main viewer, is the Operations manager's console - which is identical in size and design to the Helm station. At the very front of the bridge chamber is a large viewscreen. When the screen is not active, a standard bulkhead is present. Aft and to the left of the command area is an elevated platform on which are located the tactical and security consoles. To the captain's right, behind the tactical console, is the Mission Operations section of the bridge. Against the starboard side walls of the main bridge are the consoles for Sciences along with others that are programmable for a multitude of functions. Located against the aft wall of the bridge is a large master systems display monitor, similar to the one in Main Engineering. All relative ship information (such as damage, power distribution, etc.) is displayed on the cutaway image of the vessel. This monitor can be used to direct ship operations and can be configured for limited flight control if necessary. Also located against the aft wall of the main bridge is the large Engineering console. This has a smaller cutaway diagram of the vessel, which displays all engineering-relevant data and shows warp fields and engine output. There are two turbolifts on the bridge that can handle normal transit around the Sovereign class. There is also an emergency ladder that connects the bridge to lower decks. There is also one door, on the aft platform of the bridge, that leads to the Observation Lounge, which is directly aft of the Main Bridge. Other connected rooms to the Main Bridge include the Captain's Ready Room. (Star Trek: First Contact) Main Engineering Located on Deck 16, Main Engineering has access to almost all systems aboard the starship, and manages repairs, power flow, and general maintenance. Entrance to the primary engineering spaces is provided by two large blast doors, a pair each deck on Decks 15 and 16, that can be closed for internal or external security reasons, as well as in case of emergencies. (Star Trek: Insurrection) In the centre of the room is the matter/anti-matter reaction assembly. This is where primary power for the ship is generated inside the matter/anti-matter reaction chamber. Usable consoles are mounted on the walls surrounding it, providing primary conrol access for the engineers and technicians. Additionally, there are numerous ladders and access panels to Jefferies tubes, leading throughout the starship. A second tier rings the second level of Main Engineering on Deck 15. Two ladders on the opposite ends of the catwalk provide access. (Star Trek: First Contact) Medical Facilities One large Sickbay facility, located on Deck 7, serves as the primary care facility on Sovereign class starships. Equipped with six standard and one advanced bio-bed, Sickbay is also home to the Chief Medical Officer's office and a small lab used for routine analysis of patients. The room itself is considered to be general-purpose, often the location of regular crew physicals, appointments, and various medical emergencies, it can effectively handle the majority of situations that a starship crew will face. (Star Trek: First Contact) Located near Sickbay is the Counselor's office. A modest room approximately the size of a standard living room compartment, it can easily be placed somewhere within the residential areas of the ship at the Counselor's discretion. While decorated to the tastes of the staff using it, the office tends to be equipped with comfortable seating and colors to better relax its visitors. (Star Trek: First Contact) Crew Quarters The arrangement of living quarters is designed to be modular, so that at any time, a particular area could be reconfigured to create larger or smaller residential areas. Most living areas are located on the upper and lower surfaces of the saucer section, offering residents a remarkable view of the starscape outside their windows. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Shuttlebay Located at the dorsal stern of the primary hull, the Main Shuttlebay takes up a significant portion of the aft section of Decks 6 through 9 on the Sovereign class. Due to the mission profile of the Sovereign, the shuttlebay extends larger than normal for a vessel its size to accommodate runabouts and several shuttlecraft. The Secondary Shuttlebay is located at the very aft portion of the Engineering hull, a homage to the Constitution class shuttlebay. This bay, while smaller than the Main Shuttlebay, is just as capable of handling flight operations as the Main Shuttlebay. (Star Trek: First Contact) Ships commissioned *[[USS Sovereign|USS Sovereign]] *[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701-E) Appendices Appearances *Star Trek: First Contact *Star Trek: Insurrection *Star Trek: Nemesis Background The ''Sovereign-class was designed by production designer Herman Zimmerman with illustrator John Eaves. Rick Sternbach did the working construction drawings of the model, which was built at Industrial Light and Magic. Comments made by Rick Sternbach on the TrekBBS give the Sovereign class a designation of Heavy Cruiser, a mass of 3,205,000 metric tons, an apparent crew complement of 855, and a maximum cruising speed of warp 9.7. He also stated that it was the intent that the Sovereign Class be the replacement for the Excelsior Class. These facts have yet to be confirmed in canon.'' Apocrypha Sovereign-class starships have been mentioned often in novels and games. A role-playing game supplement from Decipher mentions ships of this type, the ''Sovereign'', ''Yorktown'' and Independence.'' External Links Sovereign Changes - DITL's Graham Kennedy details the changes made to the Sovereign class between Insurrection and Nemesis.